Drug link in SA man's murder?
27/10/2008 22:18 - (SA)
Guard kills SA man in Kabul
London - DHL said on Monday it was cooperating with the probe into the killing of two senior employees in Kabul, as a report suggested the Afghan authorities were investigating possible links to heroin smuggling.
The South African head and British deputy head of the international shipping company's Afghanistan branch, Jason Bresler and David Giles, were killed by their guard outside their office on Saturday. The guard then shot and killed himself.
The Financial Times newspaper reported security officials as saying it was possible the killings were linked to traffickers angry at the duo's efforts to prevent DHL being used to smuggle heroin out of Afghanistan.
"DHL is fully cooperating with authorities investigating the incident," a DHL spokesperson told AFP.
"The DHL offices in Kabul have been closed as a security measure while investigations are taking place and will remain so until the investigation has been concluded.
"In order not to hinder the investigation, no further information can be released at this time."
The spokesperson could not comment on the FT report.
"Investigations into the incident are under way and... therefore we cannot comment or speculate any further."
The FT said Bresler had personally overseen the disposal of nearly three kilograms of heroin sewn into a quilt inside a parcel.
He also ordered a new set of sniffer dogs after the existing dogs failed to detect drugs hidden in parcels, the newspaper said.
In March this year, the International Narcotics Control Board said heroin production in Afghanistan reached a new high in 2007, an "exceptional quantity" of opium, at 8 200 tonnes, 34% more than in 2006.
The country now accounts for 93% of all opiates on the global market, the United Nations agency added.